Module 5: Conducting Community Service Assessments in Native Communities

Goal of Module 5:

To provide Community Services Assessment steps, tools, and resources for the development of an HIV/AIDS prevention intervention program.

This module contains the fundamentals for the systematic gathering of knowledge to better understand the needs and strengths in your community as they relate to HIV. The knowledge gathered will help to build a strengths-based and community-driven HIV prevention intervention program which responds to community needs. The model used is based on the Community Services Assessment (CSA). This module will take you through the steps of a CSA: needs assessment, resource inventory, and gap analysis.

Contents
6 Resource Inventory

This module helps you create and conduct a CSA to aid in planning your HIV prevention intervention program.

It includes information on:

A resource inventory starts with a list of all types of service providers in the area and often can take the form of a resource directory. Information to create the list usually comes from staff, other providers, and consumers. Once the service provider list is compiled, each receives a short questionnaire, by mail or email, which typically includes questions such as:

  • Name, address, and contact information
  • Resources (amount and type of funding, number of staff and volunteers)
  • Program focus (HIV prevention, substance abuse, etc.)
  • Geographic area served
  • Focus population served
  • Service capacity (number of clients served)
  • Strategies or types of interventions being offered
  • Information on accessibility and cultural appropriateness

Collecting this information, particularly from non-HIV agencies may be a little difficult. Often agencies don’t want to reveal funding information or may not understand why their agency information is needed. Assigning staff or volunteers to make personal contact with area organizations can increase the agencies’ participation in the inventory.

The resource inventory conveys information about services that do and do not exist within a community. When compared against needs within a community, the resource inventory unveils gaps in services. Please go to the Resources Inventory Template for you to use and adapt for your CSA.

Exercise: Resource Inventory

  • How do these needs compare with available services?
  • What are the gaps in services?
  • What are the barriers to services?
  • Which of these needs, gaps and barriers are most serious?
  • Which can be addressed?
  • What are the recommendations indicated in the analysis?

To view Our Town’s resource inventory click here.